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In chapter 1 1 we see what many people consider to be Jesus'
greatest miracle. When Jesus heard that Lazarus was ill, He stayed where He was for two
more days. Our Lord never yielded to human pressure so that He was hurried, worried, or tense.
He knew the will of His Father and was prepared for a greater work than would have been
accomplished if He had immediately gone to heal Lazarus. Sometimes what we consider a
"good" solution or idea becomes the enemy of what is the best solution from God.
Verse 4 teaches us that God's answers give Him glory and are therefore ultimately in our best interest
also. Do you wait on the Lord's will and timing in your life? To walk by day (as used in John 11) is to walk by God's will. If you have committed your life to Christ, it is not dangerous to live by God's will, for no one can touch those who are in His will. What a comfort to know our sovereign God is in control, and has our days numbered. In this chapter we see the devotion and courage of Thomas. Are we as willing as "doubting Thomas" to follow Jesus even if it means our lives are affected? In verse 22 Martha shows her trust in Jesus when she says, "even now God will give you what you ask." Jesus then reveals Himself to Martha saying, "I am the resurrection and the life." In verse 33-35 we see that Jesus was grieved and angry at what sin and death had brought into this world. ("Deeply moved" in the Greek translation means anger.) Jesus was angry at the consequences of sin seen in Lazarus' death and the mourners' grief. It was because of sin that death entered the world. It is by the blood of Jesus that it is conquered. (Look at Hebrews 2:14-15) The Lord always involves someone in His work. Martha had to risk personal embarrassment by rolling away the stone from her dead brother's grave in order to obey Jesus. Jesus wanted her complete cooperation. "Believe and you will see the glory of God," Jesus told her. Though she did not know what would happen, she did believe His promise. Imagine the scene as Lazarus walked over to his friend Jesus! Lazarus' life was not his own anymore. (See Ephesians 4:22-24) Each of us has been bought with a price, the blood of our Savior. We who believe in Christ have a new life. To fully live that life, it is essential to take off the bandages of the grave (holding on to the guilt of past sin). When Jesus sets you free, you are free indeed! The raising of Lazarus further divided the people into two groups, those who believed that Jesus was the Messiah and those who refused to believe. |